Incremento de las HDL como arma terapéutica en la aterotrombosis

Simultaneous Noninvasive Detection and Therapy of Atherosclerosis Using HDL Coated Gold Nanorods

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. A real need exists in the development of new, improved therapeutic methods for treating CVD, while major advances in nanotechnology have opened new avenues in this field. In this paper, we report the use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) coated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (GNP-HDL) for the simultaneous detection and therapy of unstable plaques. Based on the well-known HDL cardiovascular protection, by promoting the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), injured rat carotids, as a model for unstable plaques, were injected with the GNP-HDL. Noninvasive detection of the plaques 24 h post the GNP injection was enabled using the diffusion reflection (DR) method, indicating that the GNP-HDL particles had accumulated in the injured site. Pathology and noninvasive CT measurements proved the recovery of the injured artery treated with the GNP-HDL. The DR of the GNP-HDL presented a simple and highly sensitive method at a low cost, resulting in simultaneous specific unstable plaque diagnosis and recovery.

Glucose-lowering and hypolipidemic activities of polysaccharides from Cordyceps taii in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Background

Hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia are classic features of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Cordyceps taii, a folk medicinal fungus native to southern China, possesses various pharmacological activities. This study aimed to assess the glucose-lowering and hypolipidemic effects of polysaccharides from C. taii (CTP) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice.

Methods

Kunming mice were intraperitoneally injected with STZ at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. After induction of diabetes, diabetic mice were randomly divided into five groups: diabetic mellitus group (DM), metformin-treated group, low, medium, and high-dose CTP-treated group (CTP-L, CTP-M, and CTP-H). Normal mice served as the control group. After treatment for 28 days, body weight, fasting serum insulin (FSI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured. Histological analysis of pancreatic tissue and immune organ indices was also performed to evaluate the anti-diabetes effect of CTP. SPSS (version 21.0) software was used for statistical analysis, and statistical differences were considered significant at p < 0.05.

Results

Compared with the DM group, the body weight and FSI level of CTP-H group increased by 36.13 and 32.47%, whereas the FBG and HOMA-IR decreased by 56.79 and 42.78%, respectively (p < 0.05). Histopathological examination of the pancreas revealed that CTP improved and repaired the impaired islet β-cells in pancreatic tissue. Compared with the DM group, the levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C decreased by 13.84, 31.87, and 36.61%, whereas that of HDL-C increased by 28.60% in CTP-H (p < 0.05). Further study showed that the thymus index in CTP-H was elevated by approximately 54.96%, and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP was inhibited by approximately 19.97, 34.46, and 35.41%, respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The anti-diabetes effect of CTP is closely associated with immunoregulation and anti-inflammation, and CTP may be considered as a therapeutic drug or functional food for DM intervention.

Antidiabetic activity of mycelia selenium-polysaccharide from Catathelasma ventricosum in STZ-induced diabetic mice

Se-polysaccharide from Catathelasma ventricosum (SPC-2) was purified by DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The average size of SPC-2 was 1.6×10(5) Da, and it was mainly composed of glucose (87.4%) with the conformation of β-pyran ring. The branched structure of SPC-2 was proved intuitively by atomic force microscope (AFM). The antidiabetic potential of SPC-2 was tested in STZ-induced diabetic mice. After STZ-induced diabetic mice being administered of SPC-2 for 30 days, SPC-2 treatment significantly reduced the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) that were increased by the STZ treatment. Further, the SPC-2 treatment led to increased activity of antioxidant enzymes in liver and kidney and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) that were decreased by the STZ. The results of histopathology also showed SPC-2 protected tissues (pancreas, liver and kidney) against peroxidation damage and maintained tissue integrity.

Antioxidant effect of apolipoprotein A-I on high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rabbits

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly recognized condition that encompasses a spectrum of liver abnormalities. It has been suggested that oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation are key pathophysiological mechanisms in NAFLD. Although an antioxidant effect of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has been reported, its influence on NAFLD has not been reported. The aim of this study was to determine whether apoA-I could improve the biochemical and histological abnormalities associated with high-fat diet-induced NAFLD through its antioxidant actions in rabbits. Liver damage was evaluated by hepatic coefficient, hepatic lipid assay, liver apparent abnormalities as well as hematoxylin-eosin staining of liver sections. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) level in liver. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activities in serum and liver. Also, the mRNA expressions levels of SOD, GPx, and catalase (CAT) were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. The results showed that apoA-I (20 or 40 mg/kg/w) was effective in reducing hepatic steatosis, inflammation, hepatic coefficient, and liver total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and MDA levels in high-fat diet rabbits. In addition, apoA-I increased SOD and GPx activities while reducing iNOS activity in serum and liver. Moreover, apoA-I significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of SOD, GPx, and CAT in liver. This study showed that apoA-I exerted protective effects against fatty liver disease in rabbits induced by a high-fat diet, possibly through its antioxidant actions.

Low levels of high-density lipoproteins cholesterol are independently associated with acute coronary heart disease in patients hospitalized for chest pain

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The role of high-density lipoproteins in the context of acute chest pain has not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the relative contribution of lipid profile to the risk of acute coronary syndrome in patients admitted to a cardiology ward for chest pain.

METHODS

We included all consecutive admissions in a single cardiology department over a period of 10 months and 1-year follow-up was performed.

RESULTS

In total, 959 patients were included: 457 (47.7%) were diagnosed with non-ischemic chest pain, 355 (37%) with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome, and 147 (15.3%) with ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. Prevalence of high-density lipoproteins <40 mg/dL was 54.6%, and was higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome (69.4% vs 30.6%; P<.01). The prevalence of acute coronary syndrome increased with reductions in mean high-density lipoproteins. Age, active smoking, diabetes, fasting glucose >100 mg/dL, and high-density lipoproteins <40 mg/dL were independently associated with acute coronary syndrome, and low high-density lipoproteins was the main associated factor (odds ratio, 4.11; 95% confidence interval, 2.87-5.96). Survival analysis determined that, compared with non-ischemic chest pain, the presence of acute coronary syndrome was associated with significantly greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Low levels of high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (≤40 mg/dL) were independently associated with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in patients hospitalized for chest pain, with an inverse relationship between lower levels of high-density lipoproteins and prevalence of acute coronary syndrome.

[Magnitude and characteristics of residual lipid risk in patients with a history of coronary revascularization: the ICP-bypass study]

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Residual lipid risk has been defined as the excess of cardiovascular events observed in patients with adequate control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and has been mainly attributed to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. The aim of our study was to describe the clinical features and the magnitude and characteristics associated with residual lipid risk in patients with a history of coronary revascularization.

METHODS

Multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study of patients with a history of coronary revascularization. Residual lipid risk was defined as the presence of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dL and/or triglycerides >150 mg/dL in patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dL.

RESULTS

We included 2292 patients with a mean age of 65.5 (12.4) years; 94.1% were receiving no statin therapy and 4.8% no lipid therapy. Statin-only therapy (74%) was the most common strategy, followed by combination with ezetimibe (17%). The prevalence of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dL was 35.8%, hypertriglyceridemia 38.9%, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol >100 mg/dL 44.9%; the residual lipid risk group included 29.9% of all patients. This patient group had a similar clinical profile except for slightly lower mean age, higher incidence of diabetes, and higher proportion of men. Multivariate analysis identified positive associations of diabetes and male sex with residual lipid risk; current smoking, male sex, and fibrate therapy were associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dL; current smoking, abdominal obesity, and fibrate therapy were associated with hypertriglyceridemia.

CONCLUSIONS

In daily clinical practice, almost one-third of patients with a history of coronary revascularization have low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dL plus low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and/or hypertriglyceridemia, a concept known as residual lipid risk.